In order for a bicycle to operate effectively, the air pressure in the tires of the bicycle should be maintained at a certain level. Over time and over the course of use, bicycle tires leak air such that the air pressure in the tire decreases to an undesirable level. Therefore, bicycle users frequently need to refill the air in the tires of their bicycles with an air pump. Such bike pumps include a piston rod positioned in a tube body with a hose extending from the tube body. A handle is connected to the piston rod, and the hose has a head with a nozzle that is configured to engage the air valve on a bike tire. The bike user uses the handle to push the piston rod up and down in the tube body, and, as the piston rod moves down, the piston pushes air from the tube body through the hose to the hose nozzle. The hose nozzle delivers the air to the bike tire valve and inflates the bicycle tire with air.
While many bicyclists have their own portable bike pump which they keep at home or take with them on rides, “public” bicycle pumps exist that are configured to be secured to the ground outdoors along bike paths or at parks, bike stations, or shops so that many different bicyclists can use the pump.
Conventional bicycle pumps typically are lightweight and not made of particularly robust materials. The handle, piston rod, and tube body are typically made of plastic, and the hose is typically made of rubber. Therefore, bicycle pumps, especially public pumps mounted outdoors, can wear out and break quickly from use and the elements. For example, the bike pump handle often breaks easily, and the hose can easily be detached from the tube body or perforated. In addition, the hose is typically connected to the body of the pump by pressure fittings, so it is easy to detach from the pump. Moreover, because many of the parts of a conventional bicycle pump are integrally formed together as a single plastic piece, it is not easy to disassemble the bike pump or remove or replace individual parts of the bike pump. For example, the piston rod and the handle may be integrally formed as a single plastic piece, but if only the handle becomes damaged, both the piston rod and the handle need to be replaced. In fact, sometimes when an individual bike pump component does break or wear out, the whole pump must be replaced with a new pump because the component cannot be easily replaced.